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Scandinavian National Dress

9/13/2014

6 Comments

 
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I find it very interesting that some countries make a point of keeping the wearing of traditional dress alive and some don't. On my visit to Sweden and Norway this summer I wanted to find out about traditional dress, since I was exploring my Swedish roots (from my father's side) this trip.
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My mother's family (back a couple generations) comes from southern Germany. This is a photo my husband took 18 years ago when we took our summer vacation there. The Germans love to dress in dirndls and lederhosen.  We saw people all over, even as audience members at the theater dresses this way.
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I made a point of shopping for fabrics, patterns and buttons so I could make my own when I got back home. They are SUPER expensive to buy ... yes, that's me 18 years ago!
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My Swedish cousin said they didn't really wear the national costume much.  BUT, when I got to Norway, I started seeing stores all over the place wear you could buy the national costume for the whole family!  Cool! 

The Norwegians seem to like to dress traditionally for festivals and special occasions like the Germans do.
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Bunad (Norwegian plural: bunader) is a Norwegian umbrella term encompassing, in its broadest sense, a range of both traditional rural clothes (mostly dating to the 19th and 18th centuries) as well modern 20th-century folk costumes.

Wikipedia article about Norwegian National dress.
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We saw a group of people wearing the Bunad when we visited Oslo's spectacular City Hall. It looked like they were celebrating a christening. There was a tiny baby in a christening gown. I REALLY wanted to ask to take a better photo that this one I secretly took, but I really couldn't barge into their party!
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The Norwegians even dress in the different regional styles. I imagine they dress according to where their family was originally from.
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Sweden, too, had different styles all around the country back in the day, as this illustration shows. But they don't seem to have kept the tradition alive the same way as Norway has.


According to what I've just read on line, rural people in Sweden in the early 20th Century would have still been wearing clothes like this. I wonder what my great-grandfather was wearing as he stepped off the boat in 1901?
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The Swedes who do dress up on their National Day now seem to wear a kind of homogenized blue and yellow outfit like this. It's a very different philosophy of national tradition.

But why is this? I've been trying to figure out how the Swedes and Norwegians are different. From the outside so much of their culture seems the same ... hmmm. I know some of you reading these blogs know more about Scandinavia than I do.  I would love some thought on this subject. I find it fascinating.
6 Comments
Judy Mitchell
9/13/2014 11:24:00 am

Yes, the regional dresses over there are gorgeous! I've done a bit of research on them. First of all, in Norway definitely, the bunad is equivalent to formal dress/tuxedo level. Bunads are 'run' by an organziation called Husfliden, who researched and maintain all the fabrics and accessories needed for all Norwegian bunads. They have a monopoly. If you want to make your own, you must first take classes with them and get certified to be able to buy the fabric; otherwise you buy pre-made bunads.

Most regions had lost their 'official' dress, so people went out researching to create an image for each area. some designs were found in attics on pillows, some on horse blankets, occasionally a whole garment might be found, sometimes a painting. In this way, Husfliden decided what was to be the characteristic bunad for each area - and thou shalt not mix and match pieces of different regions!! apparently some young people are, and their elders are very unhappy about it.

Bunads are worn on National Day (May 17) and for any festive or formal occassion - are are also rented as one would rent formal wear.

In Sweden, the regional outfits are handled by an organization called Hemsljo/d. Sweden also lost many original regional outfits, and went through some similar research to Norway, but they aren't as manic about quality, so anyone can go into one of the handcraft shops and buy whatever they want. At one point it was suggested to create a 'Swedish National Dress' that is not of any particular region, but would represent the country at large; that's the blue & yellow one you've got pictures of.

There are books you can find of Norwegian Bunads and Swedish (and Danish) regional outfits. Some museums have displays as well. The Danes also aren't quite as manic about their regional clothes either.

While the three countries may be all Scandinavia, and at various times belonged to each other, they are still different countries with different attitudes - as is shown by their attitude towards their dress clothes.

Reply
Sabine link
9/13/2014 05:05:32 pm

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Norway was so long under Danish and Swedish rule, and gained independence only in 1905, that they adhere more to their own traditions?
They even 'installed' a new Norwegian language after gaining independence, based upon what was spoken in the country and opposite to what they'd had to learn in official (Danish) textbooks. Up until this day, theree are two official Norwegian languages, Nynorsk and Bokmål. (The following line comes directly from Wikipedia:) Historically, Bokmål is a Norwegianised variety of Danish, while Nynorsk is a language form based on Norwegian dialects and puristic opposition to Danish.

Reply
shelleyann thompson
7/15/2015 08:51:37 pm

It is good to maintain ethnic culture in order to teach each generation about their roots AND to subdue the Americanization of your country. Do not allow American culture to ruin your country!

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Petronella
10/5/2015 12:43:35 am

Actually, the first picture shows a costume from The Netherlands; it's from the province of Zeeland. So, not Scandinavian and not German...

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Linnea Jackson
5/16/2016 07:08:20 pm

I believe the costumes worn above are examples of the Swedish
National Costume as well as the Costume from Oland.

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Phoenix link
2/23/2019 12:03:57 pm

Slavic, Baltic and Balkan peoples keep the spirit alive of traditional folk clothing as well.

Reply

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    I am a commercial pattern maker who is now "sewing over 50"!
    I love to sew and hope to encourage others to come back to sewing.
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